Crimson Tears
by Yoru no Tsuyu
Summary: Alter the Oto village had been destroyed misteriously, were had Sasuke gone? Reminiscence, memories, and maybe…maybe, a new beginning. SasuNaru Yaoi
1. Not renouncing

**A.N.: **Hello minna-san! You may all wonder what this ficcie is about this time, so let me tell you…this was some story my friend and I were talking-dreaming about, talking about how the SasuNaru did indeed exist, and so how it would nice/or likely to end…and so this story was born, and it was born even before "Ship of Fools" 's conception. I'm not telling you this is how is gonna end (the actual series) but how we would like it to end. Also, I wanted a SasuNaru doujin, so this friend (Hiei) said she would do it if I gave her the script. Funny, she only speaks Spanish…but weird-ly I can only write properly in English, so this is the original version. Thought I may as well post this, since some of friends wanted to read it…and I could also share this you, I figured.

Oh, chapters won't be long, since this originally was intended to be a doujin.

**Pairing**: SasuNaru, or NaruSasu –not sure yet— --;,,,

**Disclaimer**: Don't own it…never will. I tried to fight it in court for its rights, but I guess Kishimoto-sensei beat me into it. He should learn to share… T.T

So, without further ado, on with this!

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**Everything the Crimson Tears Took Away**

_By_ Yoru no Tsuyu

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**Chapter I**: Not renouncing…

He had heard of it. They had only been able to guess what had really happened…but not-one could really know for sure. Even though he had gone there himself and saw it…he hadn't gotten any better answer.

Naruto, now almost sixteen years old, had thought—scratch that; _still_ thought that things were awfully quiet. Not a single up-roar, not a single attack of any kind to him or the village, not a single rumor…not a thing. Nothing at all. And that unsettled him even more. And that, as a consequence, let him restless.

Naruto was now perched high upon a tree, after being mercilessly forced by Tsunade baa-chan to get some rest. A little more than a couple of months ago rumors had it of an explosion—a massacre, which apparently seemed to come from an area that was suspected to be from Oto's hideout. And what seemed to be even more shocking….was the discovering of it being utterly, completely destroyed to the brick—and there, under the collapsed structure of the building, debris everywhere, where corpses. Corpses of what clearly were Oto's nin. Some were maimed, others were burnt, others beheaded mercilessly without they even having a chance of knowing what was going on before it happened… All of them. Every single one of them. And amongst them, there was Kabuto's body and…Orochimaru's…

Or was what left of them.

They've made sure that indeed, as shocking as it all was, as sudden as it all was…it was the real thing—the corpses were real, and some kind of sick prank. It was certainly Orochimaru's body. He was death. Finally dead. And Sasuke… he was nowhere to be found. Not even his corpse—nor_ anything_—was found.

Anything.

It was as if…as if he had vanished from the face of the earth.

But Naruto hadn't given up at that. For months he had searched, for months he had searched for clues, anything which might lead to the brunet, but, in the end…he had come up empty-handed.

And that only frustrated him.

At one point, Sakura-chan had told him that he was a bit over-obsessed about it… that he should just let it go. After all, Orochimaru was finally death, and he couldn't harm Sasuke-kun anymore. And that if Sasuke really wanted to be found, he would have done so already. So he should really start to move on; everyone was worried over him. Naruto felt a little betrayed over that.

They—he and Sakura—had been partners in the Sasuke-bastard-retrieving-mission, after all. They had vowed—and it felt as if…as if everyone else was really moving on, continuing with their lives, except for him.

Yeah, everyone still searched for the Uchiha, but after a while…it was as if…it lacked the priority it had before.

…Then, should he take that as a hint and begin to move on too…?

The blond boy abruptly jumped down from the tree, and landed smoothly to the ground. That thought, somehow, was way over-depressing. And…he strongly refused to move on with his life with something missing. He just felt that, even when the teme clearly didn't deserve it…life wouldn't be the same, and wouldn't be as happier—

Whoa. He brusquely stopped on his way back at that. Where that hell did that thought come from!?

Oh well…

While on his way home, he thought about asking Sakura-chan out, but then thought better of it. He honestly didn't feel like hanging out with anyone just now…and besides, she seemed to be hanging out with Ino today.

And thinking about it, those two…it was weird. Last thing he knew they hated each other's throat, but now…they seemed to be spending a lot of time together lately.

_Without_ trying to kill each other.

Weird.

But something just told him not to dwell on things like that, as he had lot of trouble as it was.

And then he saw part of his destination—an intermediate stop—before going home, anyways—Ichikaru's ramen stand. And he couldn't help but feel his heart light up a little at the prospect of eating his ever-beloved ramen (and not even Sasuke was a match against it).

"Oi, occhan!" Naruto greeted, grinning as he sat on a stool.

"Oi Naruto! Long time no see! Have been on a mission?" the stand's owner asked the boy.

"Well…" Naruto started, a hand rubbing the back of his head in a nervous-kind of manner, "kinda."

"Oh, I see. But Naruto…try not to over-do it yourself, alright?" Teuchi said kindly, looking at the youngster in the eye. Then, breaking the mood, he asked, smiling, "So, what's gonna be? The same as always?"

"Yeah, as always, please!" the azure-blue-eyed boy said, cheerfully.

More than half an hour later, the boy left the place, after having eating not as much as he usually did; he hadn't been that hungry, he realized.

He made his way home on the dark night, darkness covering most of the road he chose to take. Haven chosen the usual one, he might have encountered someone he knew, and truthfully…he really didn't feel like talking with anyone at the moment.

He just…didn't feel like explaining his feelings to anyone (his apathy—he had never been able to learn how to hide his emotions), when he himself didn't know.

But then maybe he knew—he knew the exact answer; just—

He was cut sharply of his train of thoughts by…the sight of his apartment building. And he really glad of not having to think about it, because really—

When he arrived at the front of his front door, he searched for his keys. After fumbling about a little bit with them, and after succeeding in opening the damn door, Naruto, almost wearily, opened the door, going inside.

…Home…

Or as close as it got, anyway.

He didn't even try to switch the lights on, and he deftly made his way to his current destination: his bedroom. Already there, he stripped off his weapon pouch, and then proceeded to do the same of the rest of his garments as well, until he was clad with only his boxers. Belly somewhat full, and not even wanting to bother with some pajamas (not even his pajama bottoms) as he felt somewhat sleepy, and most of all, tired, he proceeded to get into bed.

* * *

Naruto turned to his left side, arranging his pillow into a more comfortable way, and then settled like that. After a couple more minutes of staying still like that, he grunted, and then almost angrily turned to his other side, trying to get at least somewhat comfortable AND GET SOME SLEEP, DAMMIT! 

In an angry manner he sat up on his bed, hair rumpled. The distressed boy then glanced at the clock on his nightstand. Damn. 2:37 AM. Great. Just great. Now, to just op it off, he couldn't sleep.

Oh great. How long had he been awake, unable to sleep? Has it been a little more than an hour, maybe? He plopped harshly on the poor abused bed, groaning once more, frustrated.

Dammit, he had tried it all already, but he just wasn't able to fall asleep, for some unknown reason. It was as if…

Wearily, he sat up once more. Not use trying to get to sleep any longer, as it probed to be useless (and a complete waste of time) the hour or so before. That decided, he stepped his foot on the cold floor, and got up.

He just wondered why the heck he couldn't sleep. It really felt as if…he shouldn't be there, and—

Cursing lightly under his breath, he went to the bathroom, trying to wash away his sleepiness now that he's gonna stay awake for a while, by washing his face.

Done with that, he went back to his room and grabbed a new change of clothes, which consisted of a black fishnet shirt and orange jacket and pants. Then he grabbed his weapon pouch and put it around his hips. After holding it securely, he grabbed his kunai holster and put it on his leg. That done, he grabbed his hitai-ate (he would put it later) and just went outside, leaving his apartment, after putting his sandals on.

続く・・・

To Be Continued…

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**Vocabulary**

**Occhan**: Something like 'Old man'

**Baa-chan**: Rougtly 'granny'

**Teme**: Offensive 2nd person pronoun, roughly translated as 'bastard'

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**A.N.**: So, this is it. How did you like it? As always, questions, comments, corrections are welcomed. Oh…this would probably just be about 6/7 chapters at the most… 

Ja na! XD

.: Tsuyu :.


	2. Promise almost long forgotten

**A.N.: **Hello minna-san! Here is chappie 2! Hope you like it!

**Disclaimer**: Sadly, I don't own it. I wish I did, though… T.T

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**Everything the Crimson Tears Took Away**

_By_ Yoru no Tsuyu

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**Chapter II**: Promise almost long forgotten　あの遠く約束…

He didn't know exactly the reason, but he felt melancholic, somehow. As he made his way towards wherever his feet were taking him (he honestly wasn't paying attention where he was going), Naruto began having glimpses of years already passed, moments that had forever marked him. The villagers' dislike. Iruka-sensei's comfort… His Academy's graduation failure day… His fight against Mizuki… His assignment to Team Seven… His first kiss…

His face heated considerably at that precise memory. His first kiss, evilly stole by the teme. Dammit, most of his life seemed to be revolved around Sasuke-teme, wasn't it? His seemingly hatred towards him at the beginning… Then, their mutual rivalry, their mutual acknowledgment… Their constant bickering… And—heavens forbid—their constant saving of each other's asses. Their friendship… Their bond.

And Sasuke's attempt of cutting that bond.

And that memory stopped him on his tracks.

He was on the old training grounds, the place where former Team Seven was tested with the bell-thingy. The place where their bonds were first created.

His tanned hands touched the place where he was tied to when he tried to steal the bento box that time. A small bittersweet smile crossed his face; that was the first time when somebody –other than Iruka-sensei—had risked something for his sake. Even when he didn't want to admit it that time, that time…he'd felt really…_happy_.

And that was the place where he had learnt of the word 'teammate', of 'team', of the prospect that he didn't have to fight alone, that he was not alone. No any longer.

He had sure grown up since that time.

But still, some part of him didn't change, not completely. Some part of him still—

Some part of him still… still _believed_—

He looked up at the starless black-ink-like sky. And still looking into that sky, up that sky, and at that moon up there, he let his feet take him by their will—that sky, that full moon, reminded him, too much even, of that person so, _so_ much…

He didn't understand it quite well, but lately…all he could think of was him—not that he had his mind on anything else since that day almost three years ago, but now—now it was simply overwhelming.

He sighed. Oh well… he would find that bastard, and beat his sorry ass for leaving them _and_ made them worry. And _then_ he would drag his sorry ass home—but not before beating some sense into him—both figuratively and literally.

He actually snickered at the idea—the bastard wouldn't even know what had hit him—

And then he stopped before falling on the water, with the possibility of getting at least a good soak, and a pneumonia at the most—didn't want to risk the damn Kyuubi over healing that—wait a minute; water?

Had he been so obliviously distracted on his own thoughts of how to get that prissy bastard back that he didn't actually realize that he was almost walking into the water—or what was more specifically, a dock? What good of a Hokage he'd make then, he thought wryly. …Dock… A sense of…sentimentality? came over him…

That was the place, when in a time when they both—he and the teme—had been—or _should_ have been—innocent, and yet they both knew the meaning of loneliness, too early for their short age…

That was the place when he saw Sasuke, about eight years old at the time, his back to him, his front towards the water, and he was looking so incredibly _sad_ and fragile and open and…even at that time he had already claimed that he hated the boy with all his soul and—for that second, for that fragment in time he genuinely thought that, that he could connect with him, that he could understand him somehow—and he just didn't want that look on the teme's face, on his eyes—it just didn't suit him. And, as his rival, that look would only make it _so_ lame and boring and—well, his young mind reasoned and decided that that wrenching and lonely look absolutely didn't suit him. Yeah.

And then, when he felt, when he realized that he was caught looking—after all, he _did_ pause on his way home in order to do so—he quickly and stubbornly looked away, a distasteful look on his face, _and_ glaring for a good measure. The other, then, glared back. But as the blond boy continued on his way, he couldn't help but to grin triumphantly at the fact that he'd just succeeded on making the other wipe that depressing look off his face—he had glared, fire lighting those eyes again.

'_This place…'_ Naruto thought, before crouching on the dock and bending so he could make contact with the water, which was cold he noted. He hadn't come here since those days, and he had honestly forgotten entirely about its existence, but—those sentiments that he had since that time hadn't changed one bit. If anything, they'd only gotten stronger with the passing of days, with the passing of time.

And sometimes, he himself didn't understand the reason of his feelings, of his unyielding determination. The only thing he was sure of was the fact that he was unable to cut those feelings, not mattering if the other adamantly already had tried to do so.

It was unbelievable just how much power the bastard had over him, even after all those years. And for once, for a strange reason, he didn't mind at all.

Wait, he didn't…? Since when he—

"Are you going to stand there all night, _dobe_?"

続く・・・

To Be Continued…

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**Vocabulary**

Nothing new, ne?

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**A.N.**: So, this was chappie 2. Hope you liked it. :D Comments, questions, corrections, are always welcomed.

So, ja na!

.: Tsuyu :.


	3. With An Open Heart

**A.N.: **Chapter 3 is here! Hope you like it.

**Disclaimer**: Don't own it, never will… Life's so cruel… T.T

* * *

**Everything the Crimson Tears Took Away**

_By_ Yoru no Tsuyu

* * *

**Chapter III**: With an Open Heart

"Are you going to stand there all night, _dobe_?" A familiar baritone said behind him.

Naruto thought his heart had stopped beating. Since when—? How—? The blond boy hastily turned around, facing the possible enemy (best friend, rival, most important person), his hand already down on his weapon pouch. Not mattering what, his heart wouldn't stop feeling that thrill for seeing him…

"Sasuke…" Naruto couldn't see clearly that figure standing high upon a near-by tree, but he wouldn't mistake that arrogant pose, that arrogant deep baritone voice with anyone else. The moonlight passed through the canopies of the tree, some making it to the boy, illuminating part of him; mostly his lower parts. And wasn't…the teme's clothes tattered and…stained?

"Aren't you going to say anything, for once?" the smug—oh yes, wasn't it smug—voice mocked-asked him.

And…he didn't know what to answer back, really. For the first time in a long while, he didn't know what to say. It was… It was as if… He felt, somehow, while thrilled, detached from himself, as strange as that sounded.

Maybe exasperated by that silence, that pregnant silence, and by those questioning bluest of eyes, the raven-haired nuke-nin leapt off the shadows and landed smoothly on the ground in front of the other, a good five meters away.

"…re…ou…………ll..is…me?"

"I beg your pardon? It seems like you can't speak properly, dobe." The Uchiha purred the name, smugly.

"Where have you been all this time, bastard!?" he all but yelled. Yelled his heart out, his insecurities, his—

"Che. I don't think that's none of your business, _dobe_." And the other deliberately purred that –what was it?—name calling. Their usual name calling, that evoked oh so many memories—

"Why, you—" and then, their eyes locked. There were some many things that swirled through his head when seeing him, _that_ person, in front of him… —and especially after looking into his eyes; Sharingan eyes—but he didn't know what exactly make of them. And when things got like that, when he got all confused like that, when he didn't know what to do—he let his instincts do the talking.

Or violence, rather.

For he attacked. "Don't you know what—" Naruto muttered as his punch was easily deflected by the Uchiha, but he didn't stop at that. He let his violent actions speak for himself, what he wanted to say but he himself didn't know exactly _what_. And so, he continued with his attacks; punches, kicks, a furious display of emotions. "Why the hell don't you answer me, bastard!?" and the blond was growing more and more frustrated as each second passed, as each punch and kick was deflected as if it was nothing.

"What the fuck do you want to know, idiot!? What the hell do you want me to answer!?" Sasuke answered his own frustration, his own set of attacks being started, aiming a full blow on the blond's face, which the latter shielded with his forearms on the last minute. But the blow was rather strong, which resulted in making Naruto to be pushed several meters away from the other. And when Naruto looked into those eyes, those crimson Sharingan eyes that were too much like his older brother—he felt his blood boil deep within him.

"What the hell happened to you—were where you these past months, bastard!? After seeing that Snake dead, we've all thought—"

"Thought what!?" Sasuke cruelly interrupted. "That after killing Orochimaru, I would just come back _this_ village, as if nothing had ever happened!?" the battle was once again resumed, and this battle didn't use any type of ninjutsu; nor even weapons.

It didn't even cross their heads to do otherwise.

"It isn't '_this_ village' as you call it, bastard! It has a name, the Hidden Village of the Leaf—the place where we all've been born, home—"

"Home!? Don't make me laugh, idiot! This place had stopped to be my home a long time ago!" and why that statement hurt so much, for the both of them, for the blond shinobi—

And that made said blond shinobi all the madder.

"How the hell can you say that, bastard!? How the hell—" the whiskered boy snarled in the pale boy's face, gripping the other by the collar of that damn outfit that made him look so much like—

And Naruto kept the other like that, banging him roughly against a tree's trunk, eyes ardently locking, trying to understand what the hell made the bastard say that, and truly looking for something into those eyes, _anything_, but he couldn't for the damned Sharingan didn't let no emotions pour from them—

Seeing the blond's guard down, the Sharingan user seized the opportunity to drive a kick to the other, successfully driving the other away. Panting, the brunet locked at the boy, at the boy that, some way or the other, crept into his being, into his skin, stealing his nights of sleep—

"Just think about it—idiot. Just think that—even if I go back there, things wouldn't be the same, and the past isn't something you can just erase. And even if—even if I come back…they wouldn't allow me from fulfilling my dream—to avenge my clan. And more importantly, _you_ wouldn't." what was making him say all those things, anyway? He was saying too much, he was showing too much, opening too much—

"Of course I wouldn't!" Naruto said heatedly, unable to go to where the bastard was and knock some sense onto him—literally. There was something there that stopped him from doing so, and the bastard felt so close, closer as he never got in the last three years—yet, at the same time, he felt _so_ far away…

…there was something there that—

Sasuke snorted. "…Of course you wouldn't." he said, almost regretfully. "But you're allowed to fulfill yours, to become the Hokage, while I—"

"While you _what_, you bastard!? You what!? Your dream is selfish, it had—"

"And yours aren't, huh, dobe!? Just because I left the village to search power somewhere else to fulfill mine, I'm the bad guy here, and suddenly, I have to be stopped from doing so. You are so hypocritical, Na-ru-to."

What the fuck is this all that about— 

"How the heck can you say that, bastard!? Can't you see that that—that—that dream as you call it, is only going to make your life more miserable!? Can't you see that that ambition is gonna kill you in the end!? Sasuke!?"

"Che. Like you would understand…"

"What?" the other almost snarled. _Dare to repeat that again, teme._

"How can it be possible for you to understand, when you've never had a family!? How can you possibly understand when you never felt the pain of betrayal from the person who you regarded the most, rip away from the persons who you loved the most!? How the hell can you possibly know!?" and old wounds were being opened, as they did years ago in that sinister battle.

"Of course I know! Even when I've never had a family, a real family for which to mourn properly, I've felt that pain! I've felt that pain when _you_ had betrayed us all, hurting us all" _–almost killing me—_ "that day, in _that_ place!" _–The battle in the Valley of the End. _

"You should have known better than to stop trying to stop me there. I told you to leave, yet you didn't."

"How the hell could I leave, when I saw the path you were taking!? Even then, even then, I… When I finally thought I reached you, when I believed that I finally was on equal terms with you, you had to leave— when you finally got to see me, to acknowledge me, you, _you_—"

"I always acknowledged you—I always saw you."

"…What?" Naruto finally whipped his head up, surprised, (which in some part of his confession, his expression were covered with his blond bangs) and looked at the other in front of him, who this time, had his expression covered by his ebony bangs. He couldn't believe what he had just—

"I always saw you, even then. I remember that, even then, you were always alone. You used to smile, as if it didn't matter that you were alone, but I saw that you were…lonely. But at that time, when I still had _them_, I didn't think much of it.

"Then…after that…I still saw you, and I wondered how the heck could you just smile like that, even in that situation. I even envied you. Then I saw you as an annoyance, because you were nothing but a deterrence to my path of vengeance, as my role of an avenger. But as our time together as team-mates passed, I began to see you as someone close. As someone I could call my friend, my brother."

"…And then you left. You left, after telling me that I was the closest person to you, your best friend, your brother. You left, and I—"

"Do you think it was easy for me to do so!? To leave everything I knew, everything I was, to give them up—I had to do it!"

And Naruto took a moment too see that, despite how strong Sasuke seemed to be, he was human as well, he was fragile— Despite the fact that Sasuke wanted to appear being strong, that he was unbreakable—it was just a mask. And maybe, deep down inside him, he already knew that, but he didn't want to acknowledge that, because if he did… because if did, that would mean that he would have to drop off his mask, too. And to do that…would mean to let his heart vulnerable.

And he didn't know if he was ready to do that.

"And you…did it indeed." He said in an almost too low voice for the other to hear. But…as the pregnant silence issued, the other did, as if it was yelled.

"Yes…I did." The dark-haired nin said, almost dejectedly, almost regretfully. And when the brunet raised his eyes, uncovered from his long black bangs, the blond was left mesmerized, was left captivated—and there were so many emotions in them—anger—anguish—sadness—betrayal—loneliness—

And he was scared, he was scared because he had never seen Sasuke like that—he had never seen the other show so many emotions (he was forever emotionless, more so after he left for Orochimaru)—and it was as if Sasuke was baring his soul for him to see-

And that concept was scary, really scary—and he didn't know what to do, how to act, to react—and that was not all those eyes showed. Those black pools, those endless pools Sharingan-less eyes, which were able to show what those red-blood pools couldn't, and he was trapped by them. Along with all those other emotions, along the anger, the anguish, along the sadness, the betrayal, the loneliness—along with all that, there was some…there was rejection. There was was caring. There was friendship. There was hurt. There was guilt. There was…surrender.

And along that…along that, the thing that made his heart skip a beat…

There was love.

続く・・・

To Be Continued…

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**Vocabulary**

Dobe: Something like 'total moron'

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**A.N.**: How did you like it? It's like midnight, and I'm tired and hell and sleepy…so please just tell me if there was still any kind of misspellings…

Comments, questions, constructive criticism are always welcomed.

So, until next up-date +which is gonna be soon+

Ja na!

.: Tsuyu :.


	4. Not an illusion

**A.N.: **Chapter 4 is here! I'm dizzy…Ima tired… Wanna sleep… .+faints in front of computer, silly smile on her face, dreams of SasuNaru being held+.

**Disclaimer**: One SasuNaru…Two SasuNaru…Three SasuNaru… +wakes up briefly+. Don't own it, never will… .+faints again+.

* * *

**Everything the Crimson Tears Took Away**

_By_ Yoru no Tsuyu

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**Chapter IV**: Not an illusion

There was love…

_Love_…

Long ago, he had thought that no-one would ever feel that kind of love toward him—yes, there were many kinds of love, as in parental love (Iruka-sensei), sibling-like love (Sakura-chan; now he was aware of that), friendship love (Gaara; the two of them had gotten closer over those past years, somehow) and yes, he knew them, he knew that—but he never thought it would be—

—this kind of love—

—and less from the teme there.

Never in a million years he would have guessed—expected for something like that to happen. Such a thing should be considered impossible.

_Yet_—

"…Sa…suke…?"

The brunet that went with that name then wiped his eyes away, refusing making eye contact; he couldn't believe he had just been so careless as to show the other part of his great weakness—

But he just felt so, so oh so tired…

For once, he wanted to rest.

For once, he wanted to be at peace.

Even when he guessed such a thing was forbidden for a person such as himself.

And yet…he wanted to know…he wanted to know what would happen…what was still in storage for him in the future. He wanted to know…

…He still wanted that, even still with all that had happened till now. No hope should be left in him, not a single want left; he thought his heart had died so long ago…

…Yet, it still was…

And it's great, just so fucking great, because…it was still alive; it wasn't as death as he thought, and it would have been infinitely better if it was. Because if it were death, he would be able to feel nothing. And if he felt nothing, he wouldn't be able to lose anything anymore; he wouldn't be able to get hurt anymore.

He was just so tired from hurting, from fighting, from killing, from destroying…

…From everything.

He was tired from everything, from everyone, and all he wanted was to rest.

When he heard Naruto's uncertain steps on the ground and some leaves towards him, he panicked. He attempted to withdraw, to make a step back, to draw a line between them, to keep the other away as much as possible.

When his back felt the texture of the bark of the tree, he remembered where he was.

Yet it was too late; Naruto was standing a mere two steps away from him, uncertain to attempt going any closer.

And because those Sharingan eyes of his weren't present now, he couldn't see how Naruto's—ever sure Naruto, never afraid of anything—hands were trembling.

His state of mind, the darkness of the night-almost morning, and those capturing azure, azure blue eyes, weren't helping, either.

He was swept back to reality—once more—at the feeling of warmth pressing on his cheeks—they were hands, Naruto's—and gently yet kind of gingerly and somehow, firmly, making their eyes met, once more—he must've diverted his eyes from those eyes—and then he felt how much Naruto's hands were trembling, and those eyes…

…those eyes…

None kind of pity could be seen in there, nor disgust, just—

Just honesty. Complete and utter honesty. And warmth. And care. And a million of other more promises.

Just the way Naruto was. Just the way he remembered Naruto being, since forever.

And for him. Just for him.

And then…Naruto spoke.

"Sasuke, just—what the heck am I supposed to say? Just—I honestly don't know what to say to you, I'm not sure what I feel towards you, either—just—

"The only thing I'm sure about, _Sasuke_, it's that you're the person I most care about—there are things that I'm not sure I would do for anyone else's—not even Sakura-chan's—sake—Yet…yet…"

Gods, he didn't know what to say anymore—he was never that good with words—not even now, now that it was important, now that…

…And what else it was there to think about, anyways? He was never one to think too much into things, so… why start it now? He only ever did that which he thought it was right, that which he felt it was right…

So…he tried to tell him…

So… he wanted to tell him that…

"Stop pitying me, Naruto."

…Why…did time seem to stop like that…?

…Why…did it seem his heart had fully stopped beating at that, by those words, those icy words…?

"…What…?" he took steps back, as if pushed away by Sasuke's words alone.

Sasuke looked at him in the eyes, with something…alien…brimming inside those darkest of pools. They were brimming, glistening… those darks brows were furrowed, too. Sasuke's fists were trembling by his sides.

"Stop… I don't want your pity, I…!"

Because, Naruto just couldn't, right? Because, he didn't deserve it, right? Because, Naruto couldn't bear to make anyone suffer—the fool—so, he would just pretend that—

He would just pretend, and he wouldn't allow it, he wouldn't allow it, because, he was selfish—he wanted everything, he wanted it all, in its completion—

He didn't want an illusion.

When Sasuke finally raised his eyes again, once more, his eyes—they were crimson Sharingan, spinning like some crazy wheel, without control—

And he went forward.

続く・・・

To Be Continued…

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**Vocabulary**

Nothing new, right?

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**A.N.**: Sleepy, sleepy… really sleepy… well…now it's really over—gotta take a while till I update. I have yet to update 'Ship of Fools', too. And then I have my finals…

Comments, questions, constructive criticism are always welcomed.

So, until next up-date…

Ja na!

.: Tsuyu :.


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